Leading Stoker D/KX90338 Joseph Phythian

Family details:
Son of Joseph and Jane Elizabeth Phythian, of Thatto Heath, St. Helens, Lancashire.

Census details:
1939 Register. Not identified. Joseph is not at 13 Cairne Street, Thatto Heath with widowed mother Jane E Phytthian born 18/09/1888 an Unpaid Domestic and sister Lilian Johnson (Phytthian) born 13/12/1921 a Bakelite Examiner Triplex (Ashdown Works).

[pic]imgs/sppics/HMS_Exeter.jpg[/pic][caption]H.M.S. Exeter.[/caption] YORK-Class cruiser ordered from HM Dockyard, Devonport on 15th March 1928 and laid down on 1st August that year. She was launched 13th July 1929 as the fifth RN ship to bear this name,. Build was completed on 23rd July 1931 at a cost of £1,837,415. The ship had a firm relationship with the City of Exeter throughout her service. [b]War Time Service.[/b] Exeter was made famous for her involvement in the Battle of the River Plate, hunting down the German Pocket Battleship Graff Spee. On 27 February 1942, [i]Exeter[/i] was damaged in the Battle of the Java Sea when she received an 8-inch shell hit to a boiler room and was subsequently ordered to Surabaya for repairs. The destroyer HMS Electra was sunk covering her withdrawal. Two days later, when she attempted to reach the Sunda Strait, she was intercepted by the Japanese heavy cruisers Nachi, Haguro, Myoko, Ashigara and four destroyers on the morning of 1 March 1942. The Second Battle of the Java Sea ensued, now more appropriately called The Battle of Bawean Island, and [i]Exeter[/i] was soon badly damaged by gunfire, one hit causing the loss of all power to the ship. Scuttling charges were set and she soon began sinking, initially listing to port only to be hit to starboard by two torpedoes from the destroyer [i]Inazum[/i] which sat her back upright and rolled her to starboard before she finally sank about noon. Her escorting destroyers, HMS Encounter and USS Pope were also lost; [i]Pope[/i] temporarily escaped the initial melee, only to be sunk by aerial attack a few hours later. About 800 Allied seamen, including the commander of [i]Exeter[/i], Captain Oliver Gordon, were picked up by the Japanese and became prisoners of war. It was October 1945 before the last of the Prisoners of War where brought home from Japanese captivity. Unfortunately this was too late for Joseph Phythian who died in June. [pic]tpics/Jos_Phythian.jpg[/pic][caption]National Probate Calendar[/caption]